BOZEMAN — An empty building on Fifth and Villard could soon be demolished after city staff recently gave the go-ahead to build the Guthrie, a new housing development in Bozeman.
The old Guthrie project was slated to add more than 100 units of apartments to the Midtown District.
Residents had their share of concerns about the impact it might have on the area. The developer, HomeBase Partners, then returned to the city with a scaled-down proposal for the Guthrie that got the city's approval.
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“We were very hopeful when they reclaimed it and we felt listened to,” says Bozeman Resident Christy Stillwell.
Stillwell has called Bozeman home for more than two decades and has lived in Midtown for more than a decade.
“We call it up the hill; we moved from North Grand to North 5th,” says Stillwell.
She has seen the neighborhood change. Now, as she looks out her window imagining how the Guthrie redevelopment across from her house will impact the neighborhood.
“We thought we had maybe two years, a two-year stay on demolition to kind of figure out what might happen,” says Stillwell.
Stillwell and other neighbors like Emily Talago felt relief when the City Commission reclaimed the project last year and denied the application.
WATCH PREVIOUS: Bozeman residents call for public review of proposed Guthrie development
“We know that properties have put for sale signs up that then went off the market when the project was denied. And that was really encouraging,” says Talago.
Their confusion comes after the developer proposed a new scaled-down version of the Guthrie that city staff approved without the commission reclaiming the project as they had the first time around.
“It was encouraging to see our elected officials step in,” says Talago.
According to the city, Building permits, site plans, special use permits, certificates of appropriateness, condominium reviews, subdivision exemptions, sign permits, and special temporary use are Community Development Director decisions.
WATCH MORE: Bozeman commissioners reject plans for Guthrie (July 2024)
Things such as subdivisions, annexations, zone map amendments, growth policy amendments, zone code amendments, appeals, planned development zones, and variances, are done by the City Commission.
The commission can by a simple majority vote to reclaim a development application. This was not done by the City Commission for the second proposal of the Guthrie.
Talago and Stillwell wish they saw more commission oversight like they saw last year.
“Policy changes are subject to things like engagement, noticing, public hearings,” says Talago.
Stillwell and Talago say they plan on filing an appeal on the project soon.
